Loved it.Though if you try explaining it to someone who hasn't seen the show, they will never start watching it.

I like the alternate timeline thingy they have going on. Interesting to see some of the inconsistencies, changes, and how...well, after seeing the history the characters develop between eachother and what the viewer sees, you feel something so empty because the characters just aren't interacting the way they should. Prime example was with Sun and Jin; the island experience really changes things for them. Weird Desmond was on there.

Loved it.Though if you try explaining it to someone who hasn't seen the show, they will never start watching it.

I like the alternate timeline thingy they have going on. Interesting to see some of the inconsistencies, changes, and how...well, after seeing the history the characters develop between eachother and what the viewer sees, you feel something so empty because the characters just aren't interacting the way they should. Prime example was with Sun and Jin; the island experience really changes things for them. Weird Desmond was on there.

I thought of this the other day: is there any way that we're not seeing a paralell universe; rather, we're looking at a flash forward to what the season 6 losties are about to do. Perhaps this season's goal will be to get them to the point where they can really "reset" things?

Ok, let's talk through last night. I am now thoroughly convinced that neither Jacob nor the MiB are good. Jacob is not God, the MiB is not the Devil. If there is one thing we know about the Lost creators, they aren't going to be tied down to a black v. white, good v. evil paradigm. Last night, Jacob and his devil-like manipulation came through. For example, the scene where Ricardo asks: "Can I see my wife? Can you absolve me of my sins?" To both of these, Jacob says no. In a Judeo-Christian world, "God" would absolve a man of his sins. Instead, Jacob relies on a Faustian like Deal that keeps Richard alive forever. Further, it has also become evident that we are seeing is not a flash-sideways in the traditional sense. What we are seeing is the world and how it would exist without Jacob AND the MiB. Without Jacob's manipulation of their lives, you can see nuaces, i.e. Sawyer does not have the note that drives him to crime; Jack does not have the same father issues that forces him to not have children of his own; etc. I'd love to hear what others think.

JP, that's what I've thought the flash sideways scenes have been for a while now, and I think we're right!

And I really hope Jacob and the MiB are not good... or bad, actually. I will be sorely disappointed if it turns out to be a battle of good versus evil. But yes, like you say, they're both manipulative and Jacob even seems moreso at times because he never explains anything, just expects his pawns to do as they say.

Interesting what you mention about Jacob not being God because he can't absolve sins. Maybe Jacob is more like an analog to Jesus though, in which case... could Jesus absolve sins? I'd think so, but maybe not. I did think that Jacob's dousing Richard in the ocean was reminiscent of baptism though.

It seems that the theory that the island is trying to keep evil contained could be true though, and is true unless Jacob is not 'good.' It's not the worst thing that the creators could do with the show, but it isn't the best. I'd still like to see that maybe Jacob isn't right in keeping the MiB there.

Also - what Jacob said about bringing people to the island to show the MiB that people are naturally good and capable of change makes sense considering what has happened on the island. I'll have to think about it more, but it seems plausible. Hopefully the creators comment on how Jacob had no right to do that, to use people in his little game with the MiB.

There definitely seems to be a Nature of Good and Evil theme dominating now. Are humans innately good or innately evil? It's an old philosophical debate, but not an uninteresting one for sure.

Let's hope they pull off something surprising and profound. And, let's hope the best characters get awesome roles in the final episodes.

The Richard flash-back episode was probably the best in a while. I was pretty sad when they went to a Kwon "flashsideways"... they just don't have the same pull.

I hope it picks up the pace again tonight. With only so few episodes left, and so many more questions, I don't care about how depressed Jack is, or how fast Kate can run, or how emotional Sawyer actually is, or what marital problems surround Jin and Sun, etc...There's been enough of that for five seasons!